ANTIBODY THERAPEUTICS XCHANGE
2024
San Diego, February 26

Welcome to hubXchange’s San Diego Antibody Therapeutics Xchange 2024, bringing together executives from pharma and biotech to address and find solutions to the key issues faced in developing antibody therapeutics, through a series of roundtable discussions.
Discussion topics will cover Target Selection, Lead Identification & Optimization, Formats & Scaffolds, Bi/Multi-Specifics and Emerging Technologies.
Take advantage of this unique highly interactive meeting format designed for maximum engagement and collaboration with your peers.

Please note this is an In-Person meeting.

VENUE DETAILS: Handlery Hotel San Diego, 950 Hotel Circle North, San Diego CA 92108

SNAPSHOTS OF DISCUSSION TOPICS

Track 1: Target Selection

Different criteria for target selection depending on the type of biologic modality
Autoantibody profiling of elite responders to discover novel targets and antibodies for cancer treatment
Key considerations for target selection and proposal

Track 2: Lead Identification & Optimization

Discovery of pharmacollogically active antibodies that target challenging membrane proteins
Technology landscape for affinity analysis in antibody characterization for drug discovery

Track 3: Formats & Scaffolds

Challenges of using single domain antibodies as new modalities of multifunctional biologics
Determining the right bi-specific platform to generate bi-specific antibodies
Enhancing complex antibody-based modalities through in silico and lab-based methods

Track 4: Bi/Multi-Specifics

Multi-specific agonists for immuno-oncology. Challenges and opportunities in protein engineering
Navigating the discovery and development of bispecific antibodies (bsAbs) in therapeutics
Developing therapies to target multiple immune pathways

Track 5: Emerging Technologies

Persistence and Immunotherapy

Full Xchange Agenda

Click on each track for detailed agenda

Target Selection

Time

Titles and Bullets

Facilitator

8:00 – 8:30

Registration

8:30 – 9:00

Opening Address & Keynote Presentation

Harnessing the Power of Biological Intelligence and Artificial Intelligence to Accelerate Therapeutic Antibody Discovery

Eric Vajda, Vice President, Preclinical R&D, OmniAb

Eric Vajda is Vice President, Preclinical Research and Development at OmniAb. Dr. Vajda has more than 20 years of biopharma experience in pharmacology and preclinical development. Prior to OmniAb, Dr. Vajda was VP of Preclinical R&D at Ligand Pharmaceuticals. From 2002-2022, Dr. Vajda had leadership roles in multiple research projects at Ligand including the Selective Androgen Receptor Modulator (SARM) program, Interleukin-1 Receptor Associated Kinase 4 (IRAK4) program, and Glucagon Receptor Antagonist program. Prior to Ligand, Dr. Vajda was a Sr. Research Scientist at Bayer Corporation in the osteoporosis and cancer research. Dr. Vajda has served as a reviewer for multiple scientific journals and has authored more than 50 scientific publications and presentations. Dr. Vajda earned a BS from Yale University and PhD in Bioengineering from the University of Utah, and also held a research fellowship position at the Klinik Wilhelm Schulthess in Zürich, Switzerland and completed postdoctoral research in the Division of Radiobiology at the University of Utah.

9:05 – 10:05

Different criteria for target selection depending on the type of biologic modality

Key issues in target selection:

therapeutic index,
resistance mechanisms,
OMICs platforms for target selection

Snezana Milutinovic, Associate Director, Translational Research, Radionetics Oncology

Milutinovic has 20 years of experience in diverse oncology research areas and has been involved in driving several biologic and small molecule therapeutics into FIH studies. Deep understanding and experience in evaluating different target classes and resistance mechanisms has enabled her to identify strongly synergistic drug combinations and influence clinical strategies for patients with unmet needs.

10:10 – 10:40

1-2-1 Meetings/Networking Break

10:40 – 11:10

1-2-1 Meetings/Networking Break

11:10 – 11:20

Morning refreshments

11:20 – 12:20

Autoantibody profiling of elite responders to discover novel targets and antibodies for cancer treatment

How many blockbuster cytotoxic targets lie undiscovered? How many more Herceptins?
How do you find them? Sequencing? Mass spec? Autoantibody seromics?
Can knockout-like autoantibodies vs cytokines, other surface proteins help us discover novel checkpoints?
Is there a good ROI to “mine”; immunity similar to companies like
OncoResponse? Do you know of any?
What are the best approaches / platforms for profiling autoantibody signatures?

Scott Paschke, VP of Business Development, CDI Lab

Scott Paschke is focused on driving a business strategy that helps clients accelerate their research and discoveries using innovative tools and services offered by CDI Labs. Scott has over 20 years of experience in the biotechnology sector working with renowned R&D reagent companies. Prior to joining CDI Labs, Scott was Director of Business Development at Active Motif, and was President and Chief Technology Officer at Lake Placid Biologics. He also held leadership positions at Serologicals Corporation, Lake Placid Biologicals and Upstate Inc. Scott received a BA in biology and a MA in biochemistry from State University College at Buffalo.

12:20 – 13:20

Networking Lunch

13:20 – 13:50

Spotlight Presentation

Engineering Unique Properties in Next-Gen Antibody Therapies

We will explore some of the cutting-edge advancements in our antibody discovery and engineering approaches to engineer unique properties in next generation therapeutic antibodies. With the aim to enhance specificity, potency, and to expand the therapeutic index, we will discuss how they hold the promise to significantly improve patient outcomes.

Jordon Wang, Chief Operating Officer, Avantgen

Jordon Wang is the Chief Operating Officer and Senior Vice President of Technology Development at AvantGen. The team is dedicated to accelerating antibody-based therapeutics for their scientific partners by using innovative platforms. Prior to joining AvantGen, Jordon served as VP of Technology Development and VP of Antibody Discovery at LakePharma, now part of Curia. He earned a B.S. in Biological Sciences and a Ph.D. in Cancer Biology at Stanford University.

13:50– 14:20

1-2-1 Meetings/Networking Break

14:20 – 14:50

1-2-1 Meetings/Networking Break

14:50 – 15:20

Spotlight Presentation

Discovery Reimagined: Tailoring Antibody Discovery to Your Wishlist

A long wish list, short timeline, and limited budget. We have heard that before. Tune our antibody discovery engine to tackle your tall order. We work with you to tailor the screening campaign to generate the most data for the effort. This presentation focuses on challenges we have overcome for our clients including increasing hit count by isolating the best cells; combining multiple screens to measure blocking, cross-reactivity, and epitope specificity; ensuring specificity among closely related family members; and binding difficult membrane targets. We specialize in bespoke R&D antibody discovery services and are adding deeper collaborations for difficult targets.

Allison Schulkins, Chief Operating Officer, Single Cell Technology

Allison has been an essential part of Single Cell Technology since 2013, leading our efforts to improve and validate processes for cell isolation, antibody screening and amplification techniques, and helping turn our AbTheneum platform from a pipe dream into an impressively powerful pipeline. She now oversees Single Cell’s operations, keeping everything in and around the lab running smoothly while acting as an internal advocate for our clients. Allison is an AbTheneum expert — figuring out how to apply our tool to overcome challenges for each new project. She has a MS degree in Chemical Engineering and a BS in Biochemistry.

15:20 – 15:50

1-2-1 Meetings/Networking Break

15:50 – 16:00

Afternoon Refreshments

16:35 – 17:35

Key considerations for target selection and proposal

Finding good and trained scientist
Animal models for translational research that truly reflect human disease condition

Bishnu Nayak, Senior Director and Site Head, NeologicsBio

Over 15 years of experience in drug discovery research in Immuno-Oncology (IO) and Inflammation space. Trained as cellular immunologist with expertise in target proposal and validation, translational research, Mechanism of Action (MoA) studies, as well as assay development and High-Throughput Screening (HTS). I have a successful track record of publications in peer-reviewed journals and project leadership from hit identification to candidate selection point for both SMW and biologics targets. Currently I’m serving as Senior Director and Site Head for Neologics Bioscience for the San Diego site spearheading target biology and translational research initiatives. Prior to this, I held senior-level scientist positions at renowned organizations such as Novartis, Pharmacyclics (an Abbvie Company), and AnaptysBio. I have played a pivotal role in proposing multiple targets in both IO and inflammation space, some of which have progressed to both clinical and pre-clinical stages.

17:35– 18:35

Drinks-Canape Reception

Lead Identification & Optimization

Time

Titles and Bullets

Facilitator

8:00 – 8:30

Registration

8:30 – 9:00

Opening Address & Keynote Presentation

Harnessing the Power of Biological Intelligence and Artificial Intelligence to Accelerate Therapeutic Antibody Discovery

Eric Vajda, Vice President, Preclinical R&D, OmniAb

9:05 – 10:05

Discovery of pharmacologically active antibodies that target challenging membrane proteins

How can we ensure the presentation of folded membrane protein antigens during immunization and screening?
How to maximize the identification of hit diversity and maximize the potential of recovering functionally active antibodies
What new antibody/alternative formats are being used to functionally target GPCRs, Ion Channels and other tough to drug membrane protein targets?

Christopher Roth, Vice President of Research, Abilita Therapeutics, Inc.

Christopher Roth, PhD is the Vice President of Research at Abilita Therapeutics, where he is leading multiple therapeutic antibody discovery programs targeting GPCRs and ion channels for the treatment of cancer and pain. Prior to joining Abilita, Chris was a member of the founding scientific team at Receptos, where he invented novel GPCR engineering technologies that underpinned the structure-based discovery platform. Chris earned his PhD in the laboratory of Ray Stevens at The Scripps Research Institute, where he was a member of the team that solved seminal high-resolution GPCR crystal structures and developed core approaches used throughout the field today.

10:10 – 10:40

1-2-1 Meetings/Networking Break

10:40 – 11:10

1-2-1 Meetings/Networking Break

11:10 – 11:20

Morning Refreshments

11:20 – 12:20

Technology landscape for affinity analysis in antibody characterization for drug discovery

What are the preferred techniques or technologies for characterizing and optimizing affinity and binding specificity of antibody candidates in drug discovery?
What are some of the key considerations when evaluating various label-free technologies?
How are the needs of discovery labs evolving? What would label-free technologies need to do to accommodate evolving needs?

Sriram Kumaraswamy, SVP of Product and Marketing, Nicoya Life Sciences

Sriram is the Senior Vice President of Product and Marketing at Nicoya Life Sciences, an instrument company specializing in digital surface plasmon resonance (dSPR) for antibody characterization. Prior to Nicoya, he served as the Vice President of Strategy at Sartorius and managed the Octet product line at ForteBio. Sriram has over 20 years of experience supporting biopharma companies with tools for antibody screening, characterization, and optimization. He obtained his Ph.D. in Organic and Physical Chemistry from the University of California, Berkeley.

12:20 – 13:20

Networking Lunch

13:20 – 13:50

Spotlight Presentation

Engineering Unique Properties in Next-Gen Antibody Therapies

Jordon Wang, Chief Operating Officer, Avantgen

13:50– 14:20

1-2-1 Meetings/Networking Break

14:20 – 14:50

1-2-1 Meetings/Networking Break

14:50 – 15:20

Spotlight Presentation

Allison Schulkins, Chief Operating Officer, Single Cell Technology

15:20 – 15:50

1-2-1 Meetings/Networking Break

15:50 – 16:00

Afternoon Refreshments

16:00 – 16:30

Poster Presentation

Pioneer: A Novel Biotherapeutic Antibody Discovery Platform

The Pioneer Antibody Discovery Platform is Bio-Rad’s new service for biotherapeutic discovery. The Pioneer Platform comprises a new antibody phage display library engineered to have optimal properties for the selection of therapeutic candidates, including the reduction of CDR-located posttranslational modification sites for improved developability. With 92% of the clones (VH and VL combined) encoding functional antibodies, the Pioneer Antibody Library encodes 2.25×10¹¹ unique antibodies. Pioneer takes advantage of SpyDisplay, a novel selection system based on SpyTag technology. Herein, we demonstrate that the Pioneer Platform delivers diverse high-affinity antibody lead candidates. Using anti-TIGIT antibodies, we show that the performance of our lead candidates is comparable with antibodies undergoing clinical trials.

Birthe Jessen-Park, Technical Sales Specialist – Custom Antibody Content Division, Bio-Rad

Birthe is a Technical Sales Specialist for Bio-Rad’s Custom Antibody Service and supports customers leveraging Bio-Rad’s innovative Pioneer Antibody Discovery Platform for their biotherapeutic discovery campaigns. Prior to joining Bio-Rad, she gained several years of experience in antibody discovery as an Associate Director at Alloy Therapeutics, where she led the In Vivo Antibody Discovery team, and proceeding that was a Scientist in Antibody Discovery and Protein Engineering at Medimmune. She received her PhD from the University of Freiburg, Germany and completed her postdoctoral training at the University of California, San Francisco.

17:35– 18:35

Drinks-Canape Reception

Formats & Scaffolds

Time

Titles and Bullets

Facilitator

8:00 – 8:30

Registration

8:30 – 9:00

Opening Address & Keynote Presentation

Harnessing the Power of Biological Intelligence and Artificial Intelligence to Accelerate Therapeutic Antibody Discovery

Eric Vajda, Vice President, Preclinical R&D, OmniAb

9:05 – 10:05

Challenges of using single domain antibodies as new modalities of multifunctional biologics

Issues in humanization of camelids VHH/VH
New platforms in single domain discovery
Issues with human VHs from transgenic non-human animals
Bispecific VHH/VH
Applications of VHH/VH

Libin Cui, Chief Executive Officer, Akeagen

Libin Cui, PhD, is the founder and CEO of Akeagen Inc, a biotech company that develop CaMouse TM mice for single domain antibody discovery.

10:10 – 10:40

1-2-1 Meetings/Networking Break

10:40 – 11:10

1-2-1 Meetings/Networking Break

11:10 – 11:20

Morning Refreshments

11:20 – 12:20

Determining the right bi-specific platform to generate bi-specific antibodies

What are the best approaches to efficiently generate and screen bi/multispecific antibodies?
How to accommodate diverse antibody formats?
Is there a preferred format to minimize development risk?

Eric Vajda, Vice President, Preclinical R&D, OmniAb

12:20 – 13:20

Networking Lunch

13:20 – 13:50

Spotlight Presentation

Engineering Unique Properties in Next-Gen Antibody Therapies

Jordon Wang, Chief Operating Officer, Avantgen

13:50– 14:20

1-2-1 Meetings/Networking Break

14:20 – 14:50

1-2-1 Meetings/Networking Break

14:50 – 15:20

Spotlight Presentation

Allison Schulkins, Chief Operating Officer, Single Cell Technology

15:20 – 15:50

1-2-1 Meetings/Networking Break

15:50 – 16:00

Afternoon Refreshments

16:00 – 16:30

Poster Presentation

Lead Identification & Optimization topic:
Diversity, De-Risking, Down-Selection: The Value Of Amplified Lead Antibody Selection

To select the best lead antibody for clinical use, it’s crucial to have a diverse panel of lead candidates. This allows for careful down-selection based on both functionality and clinical suitability. At IPA, we utilize a comprehensive range of in silico, in vivo and in vitro technologies to maximize the delivery of personalized programs driven by diversity. This not only accelerates informed decision-making for down-selection but also potentially de-risks the path to the clinic. Here we highlight our plasma B cell workflow, which rapidly identifies functional antibodies, combined with IPA’s de-risking integrated intelligence technology. This synergistic integration, leveraging both innovative experimental and in silico technologies, allows lead selection with precision and speed.

Andra Li, Scientific Director, ImmunoPrecise Antibodies Canada Ltd.

Andra Li serves as the Scientific Director at ImmunoPrecise Antibodies Canada Ltd. (IPAC), spearheading a team of scientists dedicated to advancing antibody discovery platforms and introducing innovative services. With a wealth of experience exceeding 14 years in the field of antibody discovery, Dr. Li has played a pivotal role in shaping advancements at IPAC. She also serve as IPAC’s Principal Investigator for Animal Care. She earned her Ph.D. from the University of Victoria in 2012, specializing in Microbiology and Biochemistry, with a focus on exploring the impact of epigenetics and chromatin structure on DNA repair.

16:35 – 17:35

Enhancing complex antibody-based modalities through in silico and lab-based methods

How good are predictive algorithms for developability? Sequence-based? Structure-based?
Lab-based screening methods: throughput vs. predictive value
Mechanistic modeling to set targets for optimization of various aspects of complex molecules

Jonah Rainey, Senior Director, Antibody Engineering, Eli Lilly and Company

Jonah holds a PhD in Biochemistry from Tufts University and did his postdoc at University of Wisconsin and the Salk Institute. In 17+ years of industry experience he holds several patents describing bispecific, ADC, and engineered Fc platforms. He has authored almost 30 publications. Jonah contributed to multiple clinical candidates from Phase I and through approved products and led many advanced preclinical programs in oncology, infectious disease, autoimmunity, and other therapeutic areas. Industry experience includes MacroGenics, MedImmune/AZ, Oriole Biotech, Gritstone Oncology, and Alivamab Discovery. Currently, Jonah is a Senior Director in Protein Science at Eli Lilly & Co.

17:35– 18:35

Drinks-Canape Reception

Bi/Multi-Specifics

Time

Titles and Bullets

Facilitator

8:00 – 8:30

Registration

8:30 – 9:00

Opening Address & Keynote Presentation

Harnessing the Power of Biological Intelligence and Artificial Intelligence to Accelerate Therapeutic Antibody Discovery

Eric Vajda, Vice President, Preclinical R&D, OmniAb

9:05 – 10:05

Multi-specific agonists for Immuno-oncology. Challenges and opportunities in protein engineering.

What are the design challenges for multi-specific antibodies and how can we overcome those?
The role of precise affinity-tuning
Cell targeting and the issue of on-target off-cell type activity
Choice of the right TAA

Dirk Zajonc, Head of Antibody Engineering, Protillion Biosciences

Dr. Zajonc has more than 20 years of experience in structural immunology in both academia and industry. His expertise includes both small molecule design (altered glycolipid ligands) to modulate NKT cell responses, as well as large molecule drug development in immuno-oncology. Before joining Protillion, Dr. Zajonc was leading antibody discovery and protein engineering efforts for early-stage immuno-oncology projects at Pfizer La Jolla. He published over 100 peer-reviewed papers and applied for several patents.

10:10 – 10:40

1-2-1 Meetings/Networking Break

10:40 – 11:10

1-2-1 Meetings/Networking Break

11:10 – 11:20

Morning Refreshments

11:20 – 12:20

Navigating the discovery and development of bispecific antibodies (bsAbs) in therapeutics

Innovative Design and Discovery of bsAbs
Overcoming Production Hurdles in BsAb Development
Preclinical Development and Characterization
BsAb Therapeutic Applications and Target Selection

Kevin Liu, Ph.D., Associate Director, Protein Sciences, WuXi Biologics

Kevin Liu holds a PhD in Oncology from University of California, San Diego (UCSD) and completed postdoctoral training in the neurodegenerative diseases at the University of Arizona. He currently leads the North America West Coast Business Development team for Research Services at WuXi Biologics. Prior to WuXi Biologics, Dr. Liu held various leadership roles where he was deeply involved in antibody discovery, bioassay, and recombinant protein engineering. He is also currently pursuing an MBA at UCSD, expected to be completed in 2024. Dr. Liu’s combination of scientific knowledge and practical industry experience makes him an asset to both WuXi Biologics and the wider industry.

12:20 – 13:20

Networking Lunch

13:20 – 13:50

Spotlight Presentation

Engineering Unique Properties in Next-Gen Antibody Therapies

Jordon Wang, Chief Operating Officer, Avantgen

13:50– 14:20

1-2-1 Meetings/Networking Break

14:20 – 14:50

1-2-1 Meetings/Networking Break

14:50 – 15:20

Spotlight Presentation

Allison Schulkins, Chief Operating Officer, Single Cell Technology

15:20 – 15:50

1-2-1 Meetings/Networking Break

15:50 – 16:00

Afternoon Refreshments

16:00 – 16:30

Poster Presentation

In Silico Optimization of Polishing for Bispecific Antibodies Using Ion-Exchange Chromatography via Bispecific Format-Based Panel Screening

Optimization of ion-exchange chromatography for polishing of bispecific antibodies (BsABs) is a significant challenge. A time-consuming step for salt-gradient elution is pH-optimization. To polish BsABs with > 95% final purity a computational tool was created in-house that can be used to model physicochemical behaviour of BsABs and co-expressed byproducts. The script only requires the primary sequence of the individual chains as input to help choose optimal pH for elution. This purification optimization is supported by an in-house developed paneled screening approach which enables bispecific format exploration and maximizes heterodimer yields.

Dylan Brethour, Senior Account Manager, Evitria

Dylan Brethour is a Senior Account Manager at evitria AG, a company whose mission is to provide the highest quality, research-grade antibody and protein reagents to support antibody therapeutic developers. Dylan joined evitria in June 2023 with a background in supporting biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies through antibody sequencing and characterization services, and more widely supporting research teams as a life sciences reagent provider. Dylan holds a Master of Science in Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology from the University of Toronto and a Bachelor of Science with Joint Honours in Biomedical Sciences and Psychology from the University of Waterloo.

16:35 – 17:35

Developing therapies to target multiple immune pathways

What are the current approaches used to targeting mulitple immune pathways?
What are the key challenges (eg. CMC, trial design) in developing multi-targeting therapeutics for immune-mediated diseases?
What targets are best positioned for multi-targeting approaches?

Michael Howell, Chief Scientific Officer, Zura Bio

Dr. Michael Howell currently serves as the Chief Scientific Officer and Head of Translational Science at Zura Bio. He is also the Founder of Mountaineer Biosciences and Co-Founder of Galileo Biosystems. Dr. Howell is an immunologist with more than 25 years of experience in research and development and has previously led teams dedicated to the discovery of novel therapies and the integration of precision as well as personalized medicine approaches into clinical development. His efforts have led to the approval of multiple therapies, novel diagnostic approaches to patient treatment, and have been highlighted in more than 60 publications and numerous patents.

17:35– 18:35

Drinks-Canape Reception

Emerging Technologies

Time

Titles and Bullets

Facilitator

8:00 – 8:30

Registration

8:30 – 9:00

Opening Address & Keynote Presentation

Harnessing the Power of Biological Intelligence and Artificial Intelligence to Accelerate Therapeutic Antibody Discovery

Eric Vajda, Vice President, Preclinical R&D, OmniAb

10:10 – 10:40

1-2-1 Meetings/Networking Break

10:40 – 11:10

1-2-1 Meetings/Networking Break

11:10 – 11:20

Morning Refreshments

12:20 – 13:20

Networking Lunch

13:20 – 13:50

Spotlight Presentation

Engineering Unique Properties in Next-Gen Antibody Therapies

Jordon Wang, Chief Operating Officer, Avantgen

13:50– 14:20

1-2-1 Meetings/Networking Break

14:20 – 14:50

1-2-1 Meetings/Networking Break

14:50 – 15:20

Spotlight Presentation

Allison Schulkins, Chief Operating Officer, Single Cell Technology

15:20 – 15:50

1-2-1 Meetings/Networking Break

15:50 – 16:00

Afternoon Refreshments

16:00 – 16:30

Poster Presentation

Overcoming Obstacles in Antibody Discovery: Investigating the Power of De Novo Polyclonal Sequencing

Antibody discovery remains one of the most challenging aspects in antibody therapeutic development. Novel proteomics-based approaches to antibody discovery offers a promising strategy to overcome roadblocks often associated with other discovery technologies. With REpAb polyclonal sequencing, antibody discovery with mass spectrometry enables the exploration of the natural immune repertoire with unparalleled antibody diversity and creates a pathway for the discovery of novel antibodies.

Olga Kapustina, Scientific Sales Executive, Rapid Novor

Kyle Annibale, Scientific Sales Representative, Rapid Novor

16:35 – 17:35

Persistence and immunotherapy

Immunotherapy and solid cancer
Persistence of CARs
Immune memory cells

Anindya Bagchi, Co-Founder, Styx Biotechnologies Incorporated

Anindya Bagchi is a faculty/Associate Professor at the Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute and a co-founder of Styx Biotechnologies Inc. His research is focused on bringing new, effective personalised therapies for cancer patients.

17:35– 18:35

Drinks-Canape Reception

ANTIBODY THERAPEUTICS XCHANGE 2024 San Diego, February 26

SNAPSHOTS OF DISCUSSION TOPICS

Full Xchange Agenda

Target Selection

Partners

ANTIBODY THERAPEUTICS XCHANGE
2024
San Diego, February 26